Watch The Weeknd kick off epic ‘After Hours Til Daybreak’ world tour to 60,000 followers in Phoenix


The Weeknd has kicked off his ‘After Hours Til Daybreak 2025 Tour’ in Phoenix.

  • READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ evaluation: stadium-filling famous person prepares to maneuver on

The star performed a bunch of tracks from his new album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow‘ alongside hits from his again catalogue on the State Farm stadium.

Kicking off the present with ‘The Abyss’ from the report, the singer greeted followers with a masks with glowing eyes.

He went on to play the likes of ‘Wake Me Up, ‘Opening Night time’, ‘Given Up On Me’ earlier than he was later joined by Playboi Carti, who was supporting the singer, for album monitor ‘Timeless’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9fVvELifsc

Throughout the set Abel Tesfaye additionally carried out the likes of ‘Starboy’, ‘Blinding Lights’, ‘Take My Breath’ and ‘Save Your Tears’ earlier than he wrapped up with ‘Moth To A Flame’.

The present was the primary on his North American tour which can proceed at Detroit Ford Discipline on Might 24.

Dates embrace stops in Inglewood, Toronto, Philadelphia, Denver, Vancouver, Nashville, Miami, Houston and extra, and wrap up with a remaining cease on the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on September 3.

You possibly can view a listing of the remaining tour dates right here and visit here to purchase any remaining tickets.

The Weekend opens his US tour on the State Farm Stadium CREDIT: iwally

The Weekend performing on the State Farm Stadium CREDIT: iwally

The Weeknd performing stay on the State Farm Stadium CREDIT: iwally

The opening night time of his tour got here forward of his new characteristic movie which carries the identical identify as his new album and stars himself, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. Set for launch on Might 16, the brand new movie is directed by Shults and co-written and co-produced by The Weeknd.

Hurry Up Tomorrow follows a fictionalised model of Tesfaye, who’s “suffering from insomnia” and turns into embroiled in an “odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence”.

Ortega additionally lately appeared within the video for album monitor ‘Drive’ which sees the duo weaving by way of amusement parks and huge stretches of highway in late-night drives.

The Weeknd performed:

‘The Abyss’
‘Wake Me Up’
‘After Hours’
‘Opening Night time’
‘Starboy’
‘Heartless’
‘Religion’
‘Take My Breath’
‘Sacrifice’
‘How Do I Make You Love Me?’
‘Can’t Really feel My Face’
‘Misplaced In The Hearth’
‘Typically’
‘Given Up On Me’
‘I Was By no means There’
‘Given Up On Me’
‘The Hills’
‘Baptized In Concern’
‘Open Hearts’
‘Cry For Me’
‘I Can’t (Expletive) Sing’
‘Sao Paulo’
‘Till We’re Pores and skin & Bones’
‘Timeless’
‘Relatively Lie’ 
‘Creepin”
‘Niagara Falls’
‘One Of The Ladies’
‘Out Of Time’
”I Really feel It Coming’
‘Die For You’
‘Is There Somebody Else?’
‘Depraved Video games’
‘Name Out My Title’
‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
‘Save Your Tears’
‘Much less Than Zero’
‘Blinding Lights’
‘In Heaven (Girl In The Radiator Tune)’
‘Moth To A Flame’

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ was given a four-star evaluation from NME and described as “a becoming – and intriguing – swansong”.

“Although ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ has loads of his typical moody synth-pop, it’s additionally speckled with experimentation: he pulls off throbbing Brazilian funk on ‘São Paulo’ and flirts with Kanye-style chipmunk soul on ‘Niagara Falls’,” it learn. “If it is a swansong for The Weeknd, it’s a becoming one. Tesfaye is pushing ahead earlier than he exhausts the collective fascination together with his alter ego, and that’s no small achievement.”

The nods to the album signalling the tip of a chapter for Tesfaye relate to his latest feedback the place he stated that he plans to retire his well-known moniker.





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Usher avoids “emergency” after making an attempt to feed cherry to fan who was allergic


Usher narrowly averted an “emergency” after making an attempt to feed cherries to a fan who was allergic.

Throughout one among his current exhibits at The O2 in London final week, the singer continued his custom of strolling by way of the viewers handing out cherries to ladies within the viewers.

However his cherry-feeding makes an attempt took a flip when an viewers member politely turned down the supply of the fruit, seemingly complicated the singer.

When he tried as soon as extra to supply her the cherries, she refused once more, explaining that she was allergic to the fruit.

“Oh shit, you’re allergic to cherries, rattling! Anyone acquired an epipen on this bitch?” he stated earlier than apologising, hugging the fan and persevering with the present. “We virtually had an emergency in right here,” he added.

It comes after a fan not too long ago responded to rumours that she acquired a divorce after footage of her having a second with the singer went viral in one other cherry consuming incident.

As seen in clips shared to TikTok, the ‘Yeah!’ singer went as much as a lady within the viewers and made eye contact, leaning in in direction of her and singing. Issues then went a step additional when he held out two cherries and dangled them over her mouth, the place she then started to seductively eat them in entrance of him.

The fan who was recognized as Jimalita Tillman, got here to see the singer in London as a part of his huge ‘Previous Current Future’ tour, after travelling all the way in which from Chicago, final month.

When requested concerning the divorce rumours, she replied: “That’s utterly false. I’m single. I’m a retired homeschool mother trying to broaden the humanities right here and throughout the pond. I’m single. You bought a cherry, give me a jingle. I’m embracing the second. The second was stunning. However relating to fan fiction or no matter that story is that’s on the market, I’m single. I’m so completely happy the way in which Chicago has been supporting me.”

This isn’t the primary time that Usher’s shenanigans with the cherries have led to him getting followers speaking. In direction of the top of final yr, when he wrapped up the US dates earlier than heading throughout the pond, the singer went viral once more after trying horrified by one fan’s efficiency.

For almost all of the clip, he was seen standing frozen in place, earlier than the digicam rotated and confirmed him trying disturbed by what he simply witnessed.

Shortly earlier than then, it was the singer’s safety guard who went viral for his response to the brand new development. In a clip circulating throughout social media, a fan zoomed in on the bodyguard’s face as one other crowd member seemingly carried out with a cherry for the musician.

The tour comes after Usher took his profession to new heights final spring, delivering an enormous efficiency on the 58th annual Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present.

Since then, the singer has shared the official trailer for his new live performance movie, Rendezvous In Paris, over the summer time, forward of its launch in September. He additionally dropped his newest album ‘Coming House’, which featured collaborations with Summer time Walker, 21 Savage, H.E.R., BTS’s Jungkook, Burna Boy, Latto and extra.





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Watch Vampire Weekend cowl Tame Impala, Phoenix, TV On The Radio and extra at Simply Like Heaven


Vampire Weekend coated Tame Impala, Phoenix and TV On The Radio throughout their headline set at Simply Like Heaven over the weekend.

  • READ MORE: Vampire Weekend – ‘Solely God Was Above Us’ evaluation: again to the Huge Apple

The band have just lately been taking requests from the gang for snippets of covers throughout their exhibits.

Over the weekend, Ezra Koenig devoted a portion of the present in direction of the tip of their set at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena as a “salute to indie” and proceeded to carry out a short sequence of covers by bands handpicked by the frontman. You’ll be able to view them under.

He kicked off the part with Phoenix’s ‘Lisztomania’, which the French band carried out on the pageant final yr. The frontman additionally teamed up with the band at Simply Like Heaven final yr.

Koenig then launched into Tame Impala’s ‘The Much less I Know The Higher’. Introducing the monitor he mentioned: “Now a buddy of mine mentioned that Tame Impala’s not an indie band. Effectively, if my buddy is appropriate, and I’m undecided he’s, but when he’s appropriate, you don’t must be an indie band to make an indie banger.”

@stereogumofficial

Headliners @Vampire Weekend gave a “salute to indie” at @Simply Like Heaven final evening. The common covers part of their set was devoted to fellow blog-rock torchbearers, most of whom had performed the nostalgia fest in earlier years. VW did bits of “Lisztomania” by Phoenix, “The Much less I Know The Higher” by Tame Impala, “Area Track” by Seaside Home, “Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear, and “Wolf Like Me” by TV On The Radio, who performed the track on the identical stage a number of hours earlier.
[📹: Patrick Garriepy]
#VampireWeekend #JustLikeHeaven #indie #BeachHouse #GrizzlyBear #TameImpala #TVOnTheRadio #Phoenix

♬ original sound – stereogum

The frontman went on to play a snippet of Seaside Home‘s ‘Area Track’, Grizzly Bear’s ‘Two Weeks’ and TV On The Radio’s ‘Wolf Like Me’.

Rilo Kiley and Bloc Occasion have been additionally among the many artists that carried out at this yr’s bash.

Vampire Weekend’s efficiency kicked off their North American tour which can subsequent see them play Boston Calling on Could 25. From there, the band will make stops in cities throughout the US together with Portland, Philadelphia, Columbus, Saratoga Springs, Asheville, Jacksonville and Miami.

They may then wrap up their tour with a handful of pageant appearances on the likes of Bonnaroo, Pukkelpop, Rock En Seine, Borderlands Competition and extra. You’ll be able to the total record of dates right here and go to here to buy any remaining tickets.

The dates are in help of the band’s most up-to-date full-length launch ‘Solely God Was Above Us‘.

In a four-star evaluation of the album, NME shared: “Regardless of its sentimental homages to the historical past of their hometown, ‘Solely God Was Above Us’ isn’t a nostalgic album. Moderately than adopting a very rose tinted view of the previous to deal with the current, Koenig appears to be high-quality with embracing that issues simply aren’t that nice.”





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Watch Turnstile debut new ‘By no means Sufficient’ songs dwell as they focus on “mad flavours” of recent album


Turnstile debuted three songs from their upcoming album ‘By no means Sufficient’ this weekend – try the footage under.

The Baltimore hardcore band performed their first present of the 12 months at Wyman Park Dell of their hometown on Saturday (Might 10), the place they carried out ‘By no means Sufficient’, ‘Seein’ Stars’ and ‘Birds’ for the primary time in public.

These are the three tracks that they’ve shared from the album up to now. The follow-up to 2021’s breakout ‘Glow On’, the group’s fourth studio document can be launched on June 6 and is accessible for pre-order/pre-save here.

Because the footage under exhibits, present opener ‘By no means Sufficient’ noticed a number of members of the large crowd clambering onto the stage and diving into the ocean of arms, whereas a sizeable circle pit breaks out within the coronary heart of the gang.

Try fan-captured footage of all three new songs right here:

Turnstile have additionally given an interview to the New York Times, wherein they’ve described the brand new album as together with “mad flavours”, with frontman Brendan Yates saying: “Anytime you place out one thing new, you lose a bunch of individuals. You type of simply embrace it… The music we make is just not essentially outlined by the sounds, it’s outlined by the folks. If the music is just not reflective of the folks, then what’s it?”

Turnstile performed:

‘By no means Sufficient’
‘T.L.C. (Turnstile Love Connection)’
‘Infinite’
‘Underwater Boi’
‘Come Again For Extra’
‘Fazed Out’
‘7’
‘Hold It Transferring’
‘Pushing Me Away’
‘Actual Factor’
‘Vacation’
‘Don’t Play’
‘Fly Once more’
‘Drop’
‘Alien Love Name’
‘Thriller’
‘Blackout’
‘Seein’ Stars’
‘Birds’

Turnstile even have a busy few months of touring forward of them, together with two enormous UK dwell exhibits. Final November, it was confirmed that the members could be enjoying an unique present on the LIDO London department of Outbreak pageant. This can see them take to the stage alongside Alex G, Danny Brown, Drug Church, Feeble Little Horse, Fleshwater, Have A Good Life, Julie and Knocked Unfastened.

In late June, the band can even be making a cease at Glastonbury 2025. They be part of headliners Neil Younger, The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo, in addition to different huge names together with Biffy Clyro, The Maccabees, Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, RAYE, Wolf Alice, The Prodigy and plenty of extra.

They can even play an album launch present in Brooklyn at Beneath The Ok Bridge on June 5. Discover any remaining tickets here.

In a five-star overview of Turnstile’s acclaimed 2021 document ‘Glow On’, NME stated that the album “goes wherever it rattling pleases, scorching a brand new path for others of their wake”. It added: “Generally not understanding the place you’re going subsequent is probably the most thrilling factor attainable.”

Following the discharge of the document, Turnstile and their unique guitarist Brady Ebert confirmed in 2022 that they might be “parting methods”.





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Deliver Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes and accomplice Alissic reveal they’re anticipating twins


Deliver Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes and accomplice Alissic have introduced that they’re anticipating twins.

The married couple revealed the information in an Instagram video on Sunday (Could 11), which Sykes captioned “dois”, the phrase for “two” in Alissic’s native Portuguese.

The video proves to be a gender reveal announcement, with the couple sitting at a desk of their dwelling, every with a cupcake in a cardboard takeout field. Alissic is the primary to take her cake out, telling the digicam: “That is twin one, real”. Guffawing nervously, she bites into the cake, revealing a pink filling. “Fucking hell, we’re having a child woman!” Sykes says, as he hugs his spouse.

Sykes then bites into his cupcake, revealing a blue filling. The couple each scream, with Sykes repeatedly saying, “No fucking manner”. As Alissic wipes away tears, Sykes tucks again into the cake, including, “It’s actually tasty, too.”

Brazilian mannequin and alt-pop singer Alissic – actual title Alissa Salls – and BMTH vocalist and lyricist Sykes, married in 2017 after having met when she was engaged on a mission for his Drop Useless Clothes Line.

Sykes revealed final month that he was again within the studio, sharing two pictures of himself in a recording house.

Deliver Me The Horizon are set to headline Studying & Leeds 2025, and Sykes instructed NME final December that they’ve “a number of extra songs” prepared for the exhibits. That adopted earlier teases that there are songs as a part of ‘Nex Gen: Director’s Reduce’ that he wish to launch.

The band have additionally introduced a North American enviornment tour for autumn 2025 – see all of the dates right here – and they’re going to additionally seem at Louder Than Life pageant within the US in September. These exhibits observe slots at Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in June.

The Sheffield band launched their seventh and newest studio album, ‘Publish Human: Nex Gen’, final Could. It was later named as one in every of NME‘s finest albums of 2024, and praised for “set[ting] new bars for contemporary metallic”.

Talking to NME on the BRITs 2025 earlier this 12 months, Sykes defined that BMTH wanted to take a while off “sooner or later, it’s nearly discovering that point”. He continued: “I feel we have to go away for a bit, however it’s onerous as a result of there’s all the time a lot we wish to do and so many locations we wish to tour.”

Sykes added: “I feel it’ll be good for us as a result of it appears like we’ve been round because the first ‘Publish Human’ [2020’s EP ‘Survival Horror’]… We’ve not gone away.”

Alissic, in the meantime, spoke to NME earlier this 12 months about her hypnotic new single ‘Concrete’, her first new music since 2022. She revealed the observe is a part of a brand new EP that she intends to launch this spring through CLASSII Data. Watch the track’s video above.





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Watch Pulp drummer Nick Banks play ‘Disco 2000’ with tribute band Pulp’d in Sheffield


Pulp drummer Nick Banks joined the tribute band Pulp’d for a model of ‘Disco 2000’ in Sheffield this week – watch footage beneath.

Banks, a member of the Britpop greats since 1986, performed together with the band at Pretend Competition within the metropolis’s Endcliffe Park on Saturday night time (Might 10), later posting a video of the efficiency on social media.

“Joined Pulp tribute band final night time Pulp’d,” he wrote on Bluesky. “Had a blast!”

The Jarvis Cocker stand-in launched Banks to the stage, quipping: “Are you able to consider this? That is one thing fairly particular, it positively makes Pretend Competition historical past. As a result of no person in Pretend Competition historical past has ever had a member of the band that they’re tributing get on stage and play a music with them.”

Watch the video right here:

Joined Pulp tribute band final night time Pulp’d for a tune at Pretend Competition at Endcliffe Park. Had a blast!

— Nick Banks (@therealnickbanks.bsky.social) 2025-05-11T11:13:31.140Z

“This might all go horribly improper, you do know that, don’t you?” Banks stated earlier than settling down behind the drumkit, however the rendition appeared to go down a deal with with the group in attendance.

Posting after the present, Pulp’d wrote: “Unimaginable night time, being joined on stage by @welovepulp legend @realnickbanks at Sheffield @fakefestivals. Thanks Nick for a particular expertise.”

The true Pulp, in the meantime, are releasing their comeback album ‘Extra’ on June 6 through Tough Commerce. They shared the lead single ‘Spike Island’ in April, and that observe will likely be out there on vinyl from Might 23. Pre-order each here.

Unveiling ‘Extra’ in April – their latest file in 24 years – Pulp confirmed to BBC 6 Music that “the file has been achieved for some time” and the wait between information felt like “a lifetime”.

“[Playing live] was an enormous affect on it – that we performed and the songs got here again to life,” Cocker added. “We did play one new music in the direction of the tip of the tour and nobody threw stuff at us or left to go to the bar. We selected to do it rapidly… it wished to return out.”

Pulp are additionally as a result of head off on a slew of dates, together with a UK area tour and a North American tour. Together with two reveals at London’s O2, the band can even head to Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and extra, ending with two reveals at LA’s Hollywood Bowl with LCD Soundsystem.

See all dates right here and nab UK tickets here and North American tickets here.

Elsewhere, Pulp, IDLES and Fontaines D.C. are amongst dozens of artists to signal Heavenly Recordings’ letter defending Kneecap’s “freedom of expression”.





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ILLfest proclaims 2025 lineup that includes Wooli, Liquid Stranger, ALLEYCVT, Ray Volpe and extra – Dancing Astronaut


by: Zach Salafia


Might 11, 2025

ILLfest Music and Avenue Artwork Pageant returns to Austin, Texas for its seventh version in 2025. The newly introduced lineup options headliners Tape B B2B Peekaboo, Wooli and Liquid Stranger plus a loaded undercard with names like Dancing Astronaut Artist to Watch in 2025 ALLEYCVT, HOL! and Ray Volpe.

The competition takes place Might 30 – June 1 on the Travis County Expo Heart. For the primary time, ILLfest has expanded their providing to a few days giving competition goers an additional day to soak within the music and artwork installations.

This yr, ILLfest shall be debuting their first-ever 360-degree stage, providing followers a completely immersive audio-visual expertise. The competition additionally welcomes Brownies & Lemonade for a stage takeover that includes their DNBNL drum and bass idea. And the occasion doesn’t cease when the competition ends – there shall be loads of late evening after hours choices that includes intimate performances from artists on the lineup with these exhibits to be introduced at a later date.

Tickets are on sale now on the ILLfest website.

ILLfest announces 2025 lineup featuring Wooli, Liquid Stranger, ALLEYCVT, Ray Volpe and moreIllfest25 LineupPoster 1

Featured picture: Joey Zayga

Tags: ALLEYCVT, austin, brownies & lemonade, competition, ILLfest, lineup, liquid stranger, Ray Volpe, wooli

Classes: Festivals, Music





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“FUCK the corps who try to management bands and alter their sound”


STONE have spoken out about their exit from Polydor Information, writing: “FUCK the corps who try to management bands and alter their sound”.

The Liverpool band launched their debut album ‘Concern Life For A Lifetime’ in 2024 on the most important label, however as frontman Fin Energy made clear in a prolonged put up on X on Friday (Might 9), the group felt they have been constantly “silenced”, “undermined” and “ignored” by Polydor.

Explaining that the band at the moment are “deep into writing” their second album with a brand new label and that they’re now “fucking completely satisfied once more”, he stated he felt a accountability to “speak actually” about their time with Polydor as a result of “some new bands want to listen to it” and “as a result of why the fuck would I shrink back from talking our reality”.

Energy stated that regardless of having heard the horror tales about main labels, the band have been informed their imaginative and prescient can be supported and “that promise felt fucking good on the time”. However, he added, “they didn’t imply it”.

“I keep in mind after signing, I examine one other artist who obtained utterly fucked over by the identical label. Their album obtained shelved. They weren’t allowed to launch it independently. They ended up leaving and doing it their method, and now they’ve gone on to win seven BRIT Awards. I keep in mind pondering that received’t be us. We’ve obtained a imaginative and prescient. We all know who we’re. We’ll be high-quality.”

Energy was referring to RAYE, who made headlines in 2021 when she left Polydor after claiming they’d refused to launch her debut album regardless of having signed a four-album cope with them.

“ALL I CARE ABOUT is the music,” she stated on the time. “I’m sick of being slept on and I’m sick of being in ache about it this isn’t enterprise to me this so private. I’ve executed every little thing they requested me, I switched genres, I labored 7 days per week, ask anybody within the music recreation, they know. I’m executed being a well mannered pop star. I need to make my album now, please that’s all I need.”

Explaining why the truth on the label was not what he had anticipated, Energy continued: “Inside months of signing, every little thing modified. Each time we introduced up making an album, it obtained dismissed. Just like the phrase album had grow to be soiled. Abruptly, I used to be being despatched off to put in writing with strangers. We have been being guilt tripped into TikTok dances. I began questioning each phrase I wrote. We barely heard from the A and R who signed us. A cellphone name each few months, if that.”

He stated their vlogs with followers have been changed with social media lip syncs and filters, which the band “hated”.

“We have been a challenge. A product. Of venture. And that’s the reality. To most of those firms, artists are simply scratch playing cards. Purchase a stack. See which one hits.”

He continued: “We obtained signed as a substitute rock band and slowly shoved towards pop. We have been caught in an identification disaster. I keep in mind being despatched Combine 4 of a track we recorded and pondering, wait, the place the fuck is Combine 1? We weren’t even trusted with listening to the evolution of our personal sound.”

“We have been silenced. Undermined. Ignored into pondering our instincts have been flawed. Each no chipped away at who we have been. We weren’t even allowed to place our largest monitor, Cash, on the album. We’d stated from day one we needed Go away It Out and Let’s Dance on there. However slowly, certainly, every little thing we cared about obtained stripped away. We misplaced ourselves.”

Energy clarified that there have been “genuinely good folks on the label” who “actually did care and tried their finest for us”, however stated they have been the “minority” who have been “simply as powerless as we have been”.

He additionally reiterated that the band are “massively proud” of ‘Concern Life For A Lifetime’, however stated “we will be proud however unhappy by how issues have been on the identical time”.

“To each younger artist: don’t let anybody change your core,” he concluded. “Don’t allow them to chip away at your identification in trade for some promise that by no means arrives. Don’t grow to be one other line merchandise on somebody’s spreadsheet. In the event that they don’t see your value until another person is within the room, they don’t should be in yours.”

“And to the system that attempted to show us into one thing we’re not – fuck you.”

NME have contacted Polydor Information for a response to Energy’s assertion.

NME awarded ‘Concern Life For A Lifetime’ 4 stars, writing: “Entrance-loaded with its three singles, the change in fact in ‘Concern Life For A Lifetime’ ensures it closes on a colossus of emotion. Positive to be lapped up by their ever-growing, cult-like younger fanbase, this stellar debut album will solely add to the case that this can be a band with heaps of ambition, primed to degree up whereas staying true to their indie-punk roots.”

RAYE, in the meantime, has spoken extra about her personal cut up from Polydor lately. Talking to NME in 2022, she stated: “Whenever you signal with a file label, technically they be just right for you: you’re signing to an organization for them to work on your profession and take you to that subsequent degree. However as a girl, it simply doesn’t really feel like that. It feels such as you’re working for them. And , among the issues I needed to put my physique by means of to even be capable of that… it’s actually fairly unhappy.”

She later informed Louis Theroux in 2023: “It wasn’t in any respect deliberate, it was extra of a determined cry to be free. It’s so deep, what I’d realised I’d truly been doing to myself as an individual, to try to be the any individual that they needed me to be. It’s so unhappy.

“On the finish of the day it’s a enterprise and I wasn’t promoting what [the record label] needed me to promote.”





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“This isn’t a political assertion, it is a humanitarian assertion”


The Homicide Capital have given a passionate speech exterior a Berlin venue after their gig was pulled as a result of band’s use of a Palestinian flag.

The Irish group have been resulting from play at Membership Gretchen within the German capital on Saturday evening (Could 10) as a part of a world tour supporting their third album ‘Blindness’, which was launched in February.

The present was cancelled by native authorities, nevertheless, once they discovered of the band’s intentions to show a Palestinian flag on the stage throughout their efficiency, one thing which they’ve achieved in any respect of their current exhibits.

Reacting to the information, the band gave a speech exterior the venue to lots of their followers, which they’ve posted on Instagram. In addition they went on to play an acoustic present within the open air for these in attendance.

Holding a Palestinian flag aloft, frontman James McGovern defined the band’s stance on the problem. “We pulled into Berlin this morning, we had no concept that we weren’t allowed to fly this flag right here right this moment,” he stated. “We came upon early this afternoon. That is from the band’s standpoint.”

“We mentioned it for an hour at size, what we must always do, we got here to the choice that we weren’t going to take the flag off the stage. That was a choice fairly simply made, however we mentioned attainable outcomes – what in the event that they determine to cancel the present? We considered all of you deeply, as a result of we care about you deeply, and I imply that. And our choice was that we’re gonna put the flag on stage.”

He continued that they thought-about changing the flag with a banner studying “Free Palestine”, however he stated the authorities wouldn’t permit this both. “So it’s not nearly nationwide flags, it’s about political statements,” he stated.

“To us, this isn’t only a political assertion, it’s a humanitarian assertion. We’ve been saying that in interviews for the entire time that we’ve been talking about it as folks. It’s not all about politics, it’s about people who find themselves dying and being slaughtered each day, and that’s taking place proper now.”

“So, for us as a band who has had this flag on their stage for numerous exhibits now, it will be the fallacious factor for us to do to take it off the stage simply in order that the venue is stored pleased. We don’t agree with that.

“We want stay music and artwork and theatre may very well be freed from political dialogue and issues like that, however because the world as it’s, sadly it simply can’t be. That’s the way in which it’s so we’ll be again to you as quickly as we will and we recognize all of your assist deeply, however most significantly, free Palestine.”

Watch a clip of the band’s subsequent acoustic efficiency exterior the venue above, as captured by a fan in attendance.

Germany has strict legal guidelines towards hate speech and antisemitism and Kneecap’s scheduled exhibits within the nation have been just lately cancelled within the mild of their outspoken feedback at Coachella and elsewhere concerning the Israeli authorities’s ongoing operations in Gaza.

The backlash towards Kneecap prompted numerous main artists to signal a letter written by their label Heavenly that stood up for artists’ “freedom of expression”. The letter learn: “In a democracy, no political figures or political events ought to have the proper to dictate who does and doesn’t play at music festivals or gigs that shall be loved by hundreds of individuals.”

The Homicide Capital, too, have been constant of their assist of Gaza and the Palestinian folks, donating income from their single ‘Love Of Nation’ in direction of help in Palestine. McGovern stated the music is about “the darkish aspect of patriotism and nationalism, and what they grow to be when they’re warped and weaponised.”

In a press launch, he added: “The world over, we’re seeing hatred of “different” spreading like a illness. No claiming of land right this moment is extra barbaric than the continuing genocide of the Palestinian folks.”

“We’re releasing a 7” file of ‘Love Of Nation’, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to Medical Help for Palestine. Within the face of, and past such clear acts of evil, it’s extra very important than ever to cherish the richness of our various communities and the facility of human connection. We should stand agency towards the rise of nationalist ideologies and converse up for these whose worlds are being torn aside by hatred and violence.”

The band additionally mentioned the problem with NME final 12 months: “Nationalism, patriotism, all of those subjects are scorching on the tongue of everyone, for thus many alternative causes: the genocide happening in Palestine, Trump being re-elected. Irishness comes up on a regular basis for us – most of the time, as a result of we’re feeling pleasure for our nation – [but also] dismay on the manner issues are being dealt with by our authorities, the way in which persons are being let down and pushed into corners. There’s numerous that on the planet. Not simply the people who find themselves committing atrocities, however people who find themselves stuffed with this hatred of ‘different’.”

NME awarded ‘Blindness’ three stars, noting: “‘Love Of Nation’, recorded in a single stay take, is a sprawling meditation on the push and pull between patriotism, nationalism and xenophobia, and exhibits McGovern’s songwriting at its most incisive. If The Homicide Capital’s intention was to purge themselves of inertia, then ‘Blindness’ can solely be judged as successful.”

The band are set to play their largest headline present thus far on the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on July 19, with visitors Mushy Play and Mary In The Junkyard. Discover any remaining tickets here.

Different main exhibits within the pipeline embody supporting The Maccabees at All Factors East 2025 in London on August 24 (tickets here) and opening for Queens Of The Stone Age at Sheffield’s Rock N Roll Circus on August 27 and 28 (tickets here).





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John Legend reveals when he believes Kanye West’s “descent” started


John Legend has recognized the second that he believes his former mentor Kanye West’s “descent” started.

The 2 artists have a protracted historical past, with West having signed Legend to his label GOOD Music in 2004, earlier than govt producing his debut album ‘Get Lifted’ later that yr.

Their relationship turned bitter after Ye’s quite a few public controversies, with Legend writing in 2022 that “I truthfully suppose as a result of we publicly disagreed on his working for workplace, his supporting Trump, I believe it grew to become an excessive amount of for us to maintain our friendship, truthfully.”

Now, in a brand new interview with The Times, Legend has mirrored on Ye’s antics in recent times. “I didn’t see a touch of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it’s unhappy to see his devolution,” he stated.

When requested when he believes the change in character occurred, he added: “I don’t suppose we’re certified to psychoanalyse him, however after his mom handed in 2007 there was undoubtedly a distinction. His descent began then and appears to have accelerated lately.”

Legend went on to debate his authentic collaborations with West within the 2000s. “Again then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had large goals not just for himself but additionally for all of the individuals round him. He had a lot optimism, a lot creativity. It does really feel unhappy, typically surprising, to see the place he’s now.”

This yr alone, Ye has written a string of extremely controversial posts on X, which noticed him take again his apology to the Jewish group for his previous anti-Semitic remarks and go on to declare himself “a Nazi”. He additionally wrote: “I like Hitler”, and praised Elon Musk as “probably the most lit individual that [has] ever been on Twitter”, following the latter being accused of constructing a Nazi salute at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.

In February, he got here beneath fireplace for promoting a white T-shirt with a big swastika emblem on the chest, listed as “HH-01” on his web site – presumably a reference to the “Heil Hitler” chant.

The location was later taken down by Shopify, although the net retailer later acknowledged that it was taken down because of the potential for fraud – not as a result of it was promoting a swastika t-shirt. Shopify did condemn the merchandise, calling it “vile, disgusting and inexcusable”.

Then, the rapper appeared to backtrack on his earlier feedback, taking to X to share that “after additional reflection”, he’s “come to the realisation that I’m not a Nazi”. Nonetheless, it was adopted just a few days later by but extra swastika attire showing on his X web page.

His album ‘Donda 2’ was launched onto all streaming platforms in April, just for it to be taken down simply hours later. That got here shortly after he lately joined Twitch, solely to be banned after seven minutes after he allegedly threw a Nazi salute whereas proclaiming: “Heil Hitler.”

As for Legend, his world tour in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of ‘Get Lifted’ begins later this month at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Might 27. See the complete listing of dates right here, discover UK tickets here and North American tickets here.





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